Getty
Willson Contreras didn’t mince words after being hit by the Brewers for 24th time.
Monday’s MLB game between the Boston Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers got heated when Brandon Woodruff hit Willson Contreras with a pitch. The HBP marked the 24th time that Willson Contreras was plunked by the Brewers in his career. The Boston Red Sox catcher is done letting it slide — issuing a blunt retaliation warning after the game.
Red Sox’ Willson Contreras Calls Out Milwaukee Brewers After Hit by Pitch
Woodruff caught Contreras on the fingers in the third inning — the sixth time Woodruff alone has hit him in just 29 plate appearances. Contreras barked at Woodruff immediately, with umpire Chris Conroy and Contreras’ own brother, Brewers catcher William Contreras, stepping in to separate them. The message postgame was even louder.
“They always say, ‘I’m not trying to hit you.’ That gets old. So next time they hit me again, I’m going to take one of them out. That’s a message,” Contreras told reporters, per MassLive’s Sean McAdam.
Willson Contreras didn’t like being hit by Brewers pitcher Brandon Woodruff
He then took a hard slide into second base the next at-bat
Contreras slid hard into second base later in the game to try to break up a double play, which resulted in David Hamilton limping. Dirty or clean? You be the judge.
Brewers Dismiss Contreras’ Frustration as ‘Nothing New’
Neither side was backing down after the final out. Christian Yelich offered a dismissive response when asked about Contreras’ outburst: “We’ve seen that skit for the last 10 years. It’s nothing new.”
Woodruff was equally unbothered. “We’ve been through this … it seems like every year,” Woodruff told Milwaukee reporters, per Tim Healey. “He’s trying to play a game and he’s trying to get his side fired up. Once I knew what was going on, I wasn’t going to let it affect me on the mound.”
That kind of back-and-forth is exactly what turns a random April series into a circled date on both teams’ calendars for the rest of the year.
Contreras and Milwaukee Aren’t Strangers
Brandon Woodruff hits Willson Contreras.
6th time that Woodruff has hit Contreras
The history between Willson Contreras and the Milwaukee Brewers runs deep. He spent a decade in the National League Central with the Cubs and Cardinals.
The Red Sox didn’t trade for Contreras because he’s quiet. Boston brought him in knowing they were getting a player who plays with an edge — a guy who has tallied 20-plus homers in six of his 10 major-league seasons and came off a 2025 campaign with a career-best 80 RBIs. That kind of fire is contagious in a clubhouse that’s trying to take a step forward.
Whether this simmering Brewers beef escalates on Tuesday is anyone’s guess. But Contreras made one thing crystal clear Monday night: he’s not absorbing another pitch without consequence.
Justin Carlucci brings 13+ years of journalism experience to Heavy. A veteran of multiple industry-leading companies, he has hosted SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio shows and contributed to the New York Post, combining traditional sports and news reporting with expertise in sports betting and fantasy sports. More about Justin Carlucci
More Heavy on Red Sox
Loading more stories